Dr. Brent Ellis became the 30th president of Spring Arbor University when he took over the top position in 2013. During his presidency SAU has been ranked by The Economist as the No. 1 in economic value among Christian universities in Michigan and No 2. among all universities in Michigan. Dr. Ellis has also played a pivotal role in key growth initiatives including the accreditation received by the Master of Social Work program and growing expectancies for the SAU Endowment from $30 million to $60 million. Before becoming President, Dr. Ellis served as a vice president at Spring Arbor University. He also worked at LeTourneau University where he served as dean for the Center for the Development of Christian Leadership. Prior to working at LeTourneau, Dr. Ellis spent four years as the director of leadership development and student programs at Taylor University (Ind.).
In today’s episode, we discuss:
- What the difference is between being in the classroom and being the president
- The importance of Christian higher education
- Why Spring Arbor isn’t for everyone
- The difference between wisdom and knowledge
Jeff Raver is a John Maxwell Certified National Sales and Leadership Coach, motivational speaker, as well as the founder and president of Begin To Win. Jeff previously held the position of Director of Training for over 20 years, as well as the position of Vice President of Sales and Marketing, at CVS Systems, a national electronics distributor. He recently spent 2 1/2 years growing an electronics retail company from a small start up to one of the fastest growing Dish retailers in the Midwest. As Vice President of American Wireless Entertainment, Jeff was responsible for hiring managers and sales people, as well as opening 6 locations in a year and a half. He has experience in every aspect of the sales business and knows the process very well. Jeff is passionate about everything he does and he is an excellent choice as a coach, trainer, or consultant for you or your company. Jeff spent most of his life in central Indiana with his wife and three daughters, but Jeff and his wife Penny recently moved to North Port, Florida, allowing Jeff the freedom to travel the nation as a coach and consultant.
Chad R. Allen serves as the editorial director for Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. He is also a writer, editor, speaker, entrepreneur, and creativity coach. Chad is also the creator of 
Grant Baldwin is a successful speaker, podcaster, author, and entrepreneur. He has spoken at 500+ events to nearly 500,000 people and has earned close to $2 million in speaking fees. He created “The Speaker Lab” to help train others how to speak better and get paid for it. His most famous program was called “Booked and Paid to Speak”. His podcast is one of the best for those aspiring to be a public speaker. Grant has spoken in 45 of the 50 U.S. States. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife and three daughters.
Adam Levitan is a fantasy football expert that helps thousands of casual and serious players each week. He is a DraftKings analyst. Along with Fantasy Football Millionaire Maker Winners, Peter Jennings and Al Zeidenfeld, they co-host The Daily Fantasy Football Edge pod. Levitan is also an analyst and writer for Fantasy Labs. He is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writer Association award winner. In 2015, PlayingLegal.com named Levitan as one of the Top-50 Influential People in Daily Fantasy Sports. Not only does he have a loyal following of people wanting fantasy sports advice but he also provides entertaining answers to listener questions each week on his “solo pod” fantasy edge podcast.